Cut-off machine



Jan. 10, 1956 M. B. sAMPsoN CUT-OFF MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 1'7. 1949 s B Nm. Nm.. D

ATTO/ZWEXS Jan. l0, 1956 M. B. sAMPsoN 2,729,879

CUT-OFF MACHINE Filed Aug. 1'7. 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 SAW MOTOR HYDRAULIC CQOLANT LEFT HEAD RIGHT HEAD PUMP MOTOR HOT R HGTOR HOTR SAW FORWARD sAw RETURN www CLAMP coNTRoL m UNCLAMP VISE MM50' INDEX coNTRoL 1N DEx To snmoN z INDEX To sTAmN l uMlT coNTnoL CLAMP vlsE L29-Mao SAW uNcLAMP MACHINE uNcLANP FEED uNcLAMP sTocN FORWARD STOCK RETURN LEFT NEAD FORWARD LEFT HEAD RETURN RICHT HEAD FORWARD mGHT HEAD RETURN LEFT HEAD EoNmoL RHEHT HEAD CONTROL Jan. l0, 1956 M. B. sAMPsoN CUT-OFF MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 17, 1949 INVENTOR. MZK/NTT 8. 5AHP50N 'ift/MM ATToArzxs.

Jan' 10, 1956 CUT-OFF MACHINE Filed Aug. 17' 1949 5 Sheets sheet 4 mf/ff a. mPso/v M-WM ATTRNE Y6.

9 Los :EBI/L55 Jan. l0, 1956 Filed Aug. 17. 1949 M. B. sAMPsoN 2,729,879

CUT-OFF MACHINE 5 sheetssheet 5 United States Patent O CUT-OFF MACHINE Merritt B. Sampson, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignor to The Motch & Merryweather Machinery Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 17, 1949, Serial No. 110,838

Claims. (Cl. 29-69) This invention relates as indicated to a cut-olf and multiple operation machine and more particularly to a machine in which a continuous length of stock is adapted to be intermittently advanced into position to be cut off by a rotary saw and further operations then performed on such cut-off sections prior to discharge from the ma chine.

Automatic metal sawing machines are now commonly employed for the purpose of cutting long lengths of bar stock, tubing and the like into relatively short sections which are then carried'to other machines to have additional operations performed thereon. A very considerable increase in eiliciency might obviously be obtained by providing means in conjunction with such sawing machine for automatically transferring the severed work-piece to later work stations where such additional operations such as chamfering, counterboring and the like may be performed.` Various problems arise, however, when it is attempted thus to combine an automatic sawing machine with suitable transfer mechanism and other machine tools. lt is generally necessary when inserting a new length of stock into the machine to provide for a cropping cut to remove a short length from the end of the stock which has usually been marred in previous handling. The intermittent feeding of the stock must be very precise in order that a high degree of uniformity in the cut-olf work-pieces may be obtained and means must be provided for rigidly clamping the stock during the sawing operation without, however, interfering with subsequent transfer of the cut-olf section to the later work stations. It is also important, once the stock has been clamped in the sawing machine, that proper registry and gauging of the same be thereafter maintained in order that further handling of the same in the machine may be accurate and automatic.

It has been common practice in the past to clamp a number of lengths of stock together in order that the same may be severed by a single traverse of the saw head, but the sections cut off in this manner are obviously not amenable to the performance of further automatic operations thereon in the same machine.

lt is accordingly a primary object of my invention to provide a cut-olf and multiple operation machine which is adapted automatically to feed a length ot' stock such as bar stock or tubing to a rotary saw for the severing of sections therefrom and then to transfer such cut-off sections in proper registry to a subsequent work station or stations for the performance of additional operations thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide such machine in which a plurality of lengths of stock may be handled simultaneously while maintaining proper registry of the work-pieces at all times.

Still another object is to provide means for automatically cropping the end of a new length of stock when the same is initially inserted in the machine.

A further object is to provide mechanism whereby operation of the machine will automatically stop when an ice insuicient length of stock remains to provide an additional work-piece of desired dimensions.

Other objects of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

ln said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic layout of one embodiment of my invention showing a preferred uid pressure system for operating the same;

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram illustrating electrical control means for controlling such lluid pressure system;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of a combined cut-off and multiple operation machine embodying the various features of my invention;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational View of the machine of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational View of the machine of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 6--6 on Fig. 3; p

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the transfer mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of one form of automatic stock feed mechanism adapted to be employed in conjunction with and forming a part of the machine illustrated in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 9--9 on Fig. S.

General construction Referring now more particularly to said drawing and especially Figs. 3-9 thereof, the general construction of the embodiment of my invention therein illustrated will first be described. A saw carriage 191 is mounted on ways 192 carried by box frame 133 for reciprocation transversely of stock feed guideway 104. The rotary metal cutting saw 16.15 traveling with such carriage is driven by an electric motor 1% preferably in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 so that such saw will cut upwardly into the work.

The stock feed mechanism will preferably be of the general type described in Patent No. 2,641,046 of Edwin R. Motch, Jr., issued June 9, 1953, including a carriage or dolly 167 mounted on wheels or rollers 193 adapted to travel along the channel track or guideway 1M. At the forward end of such dolly is an upstanding clamping head 109 having a plurality of inserted clamping jaws 11d (in this case three) arranged above one another on an arc corresponding to the peripheral arc of saw blade 105. Screws 111 are provided to clamp such jaws tightly on lengths of stock respectively threaded therethrough.

An elongated auxiliary feed bar 1112 extends longitudinally of channel-form trackway 1194 resting on wear plate 113 in the bed of such channel. As more fully explained in such application Serial No. 62,135 of Edwin R. Motch, Jr., a rack 114 may be secured to one side of such bar in driven engagement with a pinion 115 adapted to be rotated by a rack 116 reciprocated by the piston of iluid pressure piston-cylinder assembly 117. Accordingly, such auxiliary feed bar 112 may be reciprocated within the limits of such piston-cylinder assembly.

Dolly 107 carries at its rear a transversely disposed piston-cylinder assembly 118 operative to clamp and unclamp jaws 119 effective to attach such dolly to such auxiliary feed bar 112. As explained below, such dolly will 'be thus secured to such feed bar when the latter is advanced toward the saw but will be disengaged thereu from when such bar Yifs-returned to starting position. In this manner the dolly and the lengths of stock clamped thereto may be intermittently advanced toward the saw.

Gauge means are provided including a measuring bar mounted in brackets 121 and 122 on the web of channel-form trackway 104. A sleeve 123 embracing measuring bar 120 is secured to auxiliary feed bar 112 for re-ciprocation with the. latter, engagement of such sleeve with bracket 122 limiting forward movement of such feed bar. An adjustable stop 124 is secured in selected position on measuring bar 120 to be engaged by sleeve 123 when the auxiliary feed bar is reciprocated in the opposite direction. Upon lbeing thus engaged, feed bar 112 will be reciprocated to the left in its mounts 121, 123, to the extent permitted by collar 125 which thereupon engages mounting bracket 121. Such degree of reciprocation of measuring bar 12@ is sufficient to cause the end of such bar to engage and operate limit switch LS11 and actuate the latter for a purpose ex plained below, v

By operation of the above-described feed mechanism a length of work-piece may be fed through column clamp 126 past saw blade 195, between clamping jaws 127 and 128 to the other side of such saw blade and through collets 129 and 131) of transfer drum elements 131 and 132 respectively. Such elements are carried by a central trunnion 133 for rotation in unison therewith, such trunnion being journalled in end stands 134 and 135. A corresponding pair of collets 129 and 136' are located in such elements in diametrically opposite positions. ,A uid pressure piston cylinder assembly 136 is operative to rock trunnion 133 through rack 137 engaging a gear segment (not shown) on such trunnion to bring such respective pairs of collets alternately into alignment with column clamp 126 and clamping jaws 127 and 12S. For purposes of convenience, the operation of the machine will be described with but a single length of stock being handled at one time, but it is to be understood that the column clamp, clamping jaws 127, 128, and the other clamping means such as the aforesaid collets may be provided with a plurality of jaw members to receive a plurality ot lengths of stock. simultaneously as in the case of jaws 1.10 on dolly 1417. A limit switch LSG is mounted in stand for operation by cam 133 on trunnion 133 as the latter turns. A machine clamp having clamping jaws 149 and 141 and a machine clamp 142 having clamping jaws 143 and 144 are respectively mounted with such jaws in alignment with collets 131i and 129 at the second work station. Mounted on ways 145 for adjustment toward and away from such respective clamps are machine tool power units 146 and 147 having spindles 148 and 149 respectively driven by electric motors 156 and 151.

Operation Further details of construction of my new machine may best be understood in conjunction with a description of the operation of the Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the operator .will set up the machine by securing the following end portion of one or more lengths of stock 152 in jaws 11@ on dolly 1tl'7 and threading the forward end of such stock through .between the jaws 153 and 154 of the saw vise 126. yl`l1e jaws 127 and 128 of the machine clamp at the first work station will be closed at this time and the end ot the stock will abut thereagainst. It will thus be seen that the end of the stock has been advanced but aslight distance beyond saw blade 1115 and such stock has not been fed to the collets of the transfer drum.

The operator non/,manually selects the saw vise clamp at the lcontrol station by turning the selector switch to grip the `stock between column clamp jaws l153 and 154.

After ascertaining that all the machining heads including thesaw head are in their rear positions, the operator next selects automatic control at the hand-automatic switch and the saw carriage 1&1 will now advance saw 1GB to cut olf the stock.A Simultaneously with the advance of such saw carriage machine clamp jaws 127 and 12S will unclamp and therefore no longer obstruct the end of the stock.

Such action is obtained when switching the hand-automatic control switch from hand to automatic since solenoid operated four-way valve S19 in its normal position will admit tluid pressure to cylinder 157 to move piston 156 to urge jaw 154 into work clamping position. The saw carriage 191 then goes forward when pressure building up in the line to cylinder 157 operates pressure switch PS1 in series with relay R1 and the only remaining switch required to complete the circuit between lines L1 and L2. By thus making a circuit through relay R1 solenoid S1V is caused to actuate four-way valve S1, S2, admitting lluid pressure to the piston end of saw feed cylinder 155, advancing the saw to make a cut.

Machine clamp jaws 127, 123, and 141?, 141, and 143, 14E, are all in closed position to begin with but open when the hand-automatic switch is turned to automatic and start cycle switch is depressed since normally o'pen relay contact R23 is thereby interposed between relayl R11 and line L1. Relay R11, the circuit of which has now been made, causes the solenoid S11 operated fourway valve to admit uid pressure to the piston rod ends of cylindersr 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, and`163, retractingV such clamping jaws.

The saw carriage 101 continues to advance, severing a short end from the stock which drops down out'of the way, until its forward trip dog strikes limit switch LS2, the normally closed contacts of which will open the circuit through relay R1, causing solenoid S1 to drop out, and the normally open contacts of switch LS2 will be closed causing relay R2 to energize solenoid S2 and thereby achieve complete reversal of four-way valve S1, S2, directing fluid pres-sure to the rod end of cylinder 15S. The saw carriage is accordingly returned and the machine is ready to begin upon a fully automatic cycle of operation.

At the time that relay R2 is made, index control relay R5 is also made, held through its own normally open holding contact. The saw carriage continues torreturn until its rear dog strikes limit switch LS1, causing limit control relay R8 to be energized which drops out relay R2, causing solenoid S2 to drop out. This returns valve S1, S2, to its central position locking the oil in the lines to cylinder against How to tank. The saw .vise or column clamp jaw 154 will now unclamp since the normally open relay contact R8 is the only switch interposed between lines L1 andrL2 at this time required to complete the circuit which will cause relay R10 to be actuated. Relay R10 energizes solenoid Slt) to switch the tluid pressure flow to the rod end of saw vise cylinder 157, thus retracting jaw 154.

The action of relay R8 also serves to cause indexing trunnion 133, swinging collets or clamps 129, 130, from station 1 to station 2 and bringing kclamps 129', 131)', from station 2 to station 1, by virtue of the series combination of the normally open contactors in relays R5 and R8 interposed between lines L1 and L2. Relay R6 will cause solenoid S6 to shift four-way valve S6, S7, to connect the rod end of cylinder 136 to pressure and the piston end to tank, thereby rotating trunnion 133 180 through rack 137.

When clamps 129', 130', are swung to station 1, they unclarnp as a result of actuation of limit switch LSS by cam 164 on trunnion 133. Relay R4 is operated lby cam 165 on such trunnion to shift solenoid S4 and connect the piston `end of clamp cylinders 167 vand 168 ofclamps 129jand 130' to tank. vSince clamps or collets 129 and `130 are now aligned with the stock feeder at station 1, and are open, we are now ready to feed stock through between jaws 127, 12S, of the machine clamp at station 1 and into such clamps 129', 130. At this stage such latter clampsare empty but after two more cycles of operation they will contain a nished work-piece which will be ejected by further feeding of the stock. A rack (not shown) may desirably be provided to receive and support such work-pieces as they are thus ejected.

Since index control relay R5 has been energized once, so far, relay R23 is picked up and held by virtue of its own holding contact throughout the indexing cycle. Relay R22 has been energized as a result of one cycle by the saw carriage and one indexing of trunnion 133, thereby making the start forward through relay R13 and energizing solenoid S13, connecting the rod end of stock feed cylinder 117 to tank and the piston end to pressure, advancing the stock. When the auxiliary feed bar 112 engages and operates limit switch LS3 a predetermined length of stock will have been fed into the machine and clamp control relay R3 will be energized. The normally closed pair of contacts in series with the relay R4 will then break the circuit through relay R4- causing fluid pressure to be admitted to the piston end of cylinders 167 and 168 (now at station 1), thereby clamping the stock.

The circuit through relay R was previously made by the combination of relay R8, normally closed limit switch LS3, and normally closed relay R1. Upon making the clamp 129', 130 control relay R3 as above described, the normally closed contact R3 in series with the relay R10 Will open, breaking the circuit through relay R10 and thus breaking the circuit through solenoid S10, causing iluid pressure to be admitted to the piston end of the saw vise cylinder 157 with the rod end connected to tank. Vise jaw 154 is thereby advanced to grip the stock 152.

Machine clamps 127, 128 and 140, 141, and 143, 144 have been held unclamped by virtue of an electric circuit made through the normally open contactors of limit switches LS9 and LS7, and normally open relay R8, all of which are closed at this time. Operation of normally closed relay R3 as noted above which is in series with relay R23 will break the circuit through the latter, causing the latter, in series with relay R11, to return to normal position opening the circuit through relay R11. This results in deenergization of solenoid S11 so that fluid pressure i-s now admitted to the piston ends of all the machine clamp cylinders 158, 159 and 160, 161 and 162, 163, moving such clamps into work gripping position. Machining head spindles 148, 149 are in retracted position at this stage, engaging limit switches LS7 and LSS, and the saw head 101 is back engaging limit switch LS1 so the machine clamps would likewise normally be held open but for the action of the control circuit just described.

As we saw before, when saw vise jaw 154 clamps the stock, the pressure built up in cylinder 157 will operate pressure switch PS1, causing the saw head 101 to feed forward. Thus, there is no danger of the saw advancing until the stock has been firmly clamped.

Since Huid pressure is actively energizing all the machine clamp cylinders to grip the work, pressure switch PS3 is operated which energizes relays R15 and R17, and consequently solenoid operated valves S15 and S17, admitting iluid pressure to the piston ends of machine cylinders 169 and 170 to advance spindles 148 and 149 and the tools carried thereby into the work at the second station (when the machine has been operated through the stages necessary to bring work to such station). When such spindles reach their predetermined forward limits, limit switches LS9 and LS10 are operated thereby to reverse solenoid operated four-way valves S16 and S18 and return the spindles at rapid traverse to their initial retracted positions.

When such spindles thus return, limit: switches LS7 and L88 are operated. Since relay R8 has been closed and the saw has completed its cut, the machine clamps 127, 128 and 140, 141, and 143, 144, will open and, when fully opened, pressure switch PS4 will be actuated. Limit switch LSS is still closed, normally open relay contact R5 is closed, and closing of pressure switch PS4 completes a circuit through relay R7. Solenoid operated four-way valve S7 is consequently operated to cause reciprocation of rack 137 to index trunnion 133 to bring clamps 129', back to station 2, this time carrying a cut-ofi workpiece therewith. Limit switch L84 is operated by cam on such trunnion and, since relays R5 and R8 are still held, the circuit through relay R9 will be broken, causing clamps 129, 130 (now back at station 1) to be opened, ready to receive another work-piece.

It will thus be seen that the cycle has been completed, and may thereafter be repeated until there is no longer suicient stock remaining to provide one more work-piece orcut-oif section of proper length. As shown in Fig. 8, a limit switch 176 may be adjustably positioned along a bar parallel to track 104 at a distance from the forward end of such track corresponding to the length of the section which is to be severed from the stock to form the individual workpiece, as determined by the gauge means. To allow a margin of error, such switch will preferably be positioned slightly further than this distance from the end of the track. Such switch may be included in the electrical control system of solenoid operated valve S13, S14, for example, together with time-delay means, so that when thus engaged the current feeding advance of the mechanism is not interrupted but the circuit is later broken to prevent now feeding a too short length of stock which would only interfere with manual operation 0f the transfer and machining mechanism; to clear the machine.

An alternative cropping stop 171 (see Fig. 3) may be provided adapted to be interposed for engagement by the end of stock 152 and retracted by fluid pressure operated piston-cylinder assembly 172, either manually controlled or adapted to be automatically permanently retracted when the saw carriage advances to make the first cut. A somewhat shorter crop may thus be taken, but normally the employment of machine clamp jaws 127, 128, in closed position as a cropping stop is entirely satisfactory as above described.

When a plurality of lengths of stock are to be simultaneously handled by the machine (the various clamping jaws are iiiustrated to accommodate three) a corresponding number of machining heads will be provided, operating in unison thereon. l arrange the pairs of jaws of each such clamping means on an arc corresponding to the peripheral arc of the saw blade employed as shown in Figs. 4 and 9, for example. As a result, the saw not only severs each length of stock simultaneously, thereby saving time, but also the advance of the saw is smooth and uniform without any tendency to jump as may be the case when different pieces of stock are operated upon more or less sequentially. While it has been common practice to sever a bundle of different lengths of stock by a single traverse of a cold metal cutting saw, it is, of course, obvious that no such method is practicable where, as here, a succession of operations is to be performed in the same machine.

Jaws 127, 123 of the machine clamp at the first station are operative to grip the stock closely adjacent the saw blade during the sawing operation while jaws 153, 154 of the saw vise grip the same to the other side of the saw. The stock is accordingly very firmly held and an accurate cnt is obtained. Transfer clamps 129, 129', may be spaced as desired from the saw to permit a sutiicient portion of the cut-off section to protrude therefrom for the performance of operations thereon at the second work station. Such latter operations may include charnfering, centerdrilling, threading and tapping, and theI like.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Packer Ian. 29, 1901 Joyce June 10, 1913 Rhodes Aug. 22, 1916 10 Waterman Sept. 19, 1916 Gorton Mar. 20, 1917 Agee Apr. 23, 1929 Matthews Jan. 12, 1932 Bullard Dec. 4, 1935 Braendel May 22, 1945 Braendel May 22, 1945 Morrow Apr. 9, 1946 Rose May 26, 1953 

